If I don’t get this into print it may go undiscovered. Today is the third instance of experiencing a very strange odor. The first time was in thee days after and for some days it was constant and pervasive. It occurred after my right hemicolectomy that included cecum and appendix. It was the middle of the night and I was in so much pain I could barely talk beyond a grunt. Dr. George Testerman said to me, “Well Dr., by my thinking, if we don’t open you in the next 15 minutes, you’re gonna die”. Not much of a choice. So I woke up in ICU some hours later. I don’t even remember how long the surgery was. Then when I was moved to a hospital bed like I had never experienced, the odor started. I’ve never smelled this odor and it was disturbing due to its strength. I tried as hard as I could to locate or determine the cause of this odor, and I sure wish I could describe it. Just not possible I guess. I asked everybody if they smelled it, and a few days later, into the room comes this very dapper young doctor. Joey (is what they called him). He was the internist for the trauma team and I suspect he was Very good at what he did. I asked him if he smelled it….and somehow the question got contorted around to was he wearing a cologne. He asked me if he stunk and I, thinking we were talking about the odor, said yes he stunk. Oh my…what a rift that caused my wife. It was as if I had laid a hurtin on him. 🙂 I apologized, but the damage, apparently, was done. I never saw him again. In the end, I have concluded that the odor is one my brain was making in response to something not in the real world. Logical conclusion.
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It does sound like it was something in your brain, but it might not have been. It could have been a sensitivity to something that everyone else was taking for granted. The story, though is fascinating and mysterious. Did it only happen in the hospital? Has it ever happened since? Have you recovered from whatever disease was the cause for the hemicolectomy ?
Yes, it happens since the first time in the hospital. I feel quite sure it’s related to brain activity. I’ve sure looked into every other possibility intensely.
To answer your questions Shimon, and thanks for looking at my blog, It has happened a few times since the hosptial, and again, I’m am more curious as to what it is. The disease is a blocked artery. I have been on cholesterol drugs, but was even before the surgery. I consider it simply a warning that any other blood vessel take off, where the vessels shoot off to another area…are vulnerable. Literally put, I could die in the next day or two Very easily. I’m ok with that, but it does make me pay attention to my body.
Hi Bob,
Heading for Florida in AM. Read your comment about the strange odor. It would
be informative to interview patients with various resections of the colon/small bowel.
As you are aware, many times a pervasive odor is present when folks have had
ileal bypasses, significant resections, vascular injuries to different parts of the
bowel, especially small bowel. This was not apparent to me in acute onset of traumatic
causes of bowel injuries leading to significant resection.
I often thought there was perfusion of the odor through the skin or pulmonary tree.
It has nothing to do with an open stoma. It does pose an interesting symptom.
There are many factors that might influence, i.e., diet, kidnet function, alimentary function.
Joe